Suzi's On The Job Saving Women From Burnout

Haunted by a motherhood moment, she’s fighting for fairer, happier workplaces

- Rebecca Barry Hil

Suzi McAlpine hit rock bottom on the school run. Her seven-year-old son wasn’t the super-affectionate type, so when he asked her for a hug before she left for an important meeting, she knew his recent struggles at school must have been weighing on him. But she told him she didn’t have time, left him alone on the footpath and drove off for a meeting, having to pull over soon afterwards in tears.

Despite having forged her way to the top of the corporate ladder as a senior executive at an HR firm, the mother-of-three looks back on that period with sadness. Her son is now 19 and well-adjusted – and Suzi herself has a fulfilling new life as an executive coach – but she recognises her out-of-character behaviour at the time for what it was.

Her new book Beyond Burnout: How to Spot It, Stop It and Stamp it Out is the result of four years of research into that dark place she once found herself in, and is essential reading for anyone with a job.

Although many of us now understand stress and prioritise our mental health, the term “burnout” is perhaps still misunderstood. As a phenomenon on the rise, burnout isn’t merely about taking on too much – it’s a state of mental and physical exhaustion so severe, getting through the working day becomes the equivalent of running a marathon through thick, oppressive mud.